


asylum

by DangerRollins



Category: Sweeney Todd (2007)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-28
Updated: 2016-06-28
Packaged: 2018-07-18 17:19:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7323979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DangerRollins/pseuds/DangerRollins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I already published this on wattpad a while back as a one shot but I decided to publish it here as well!</p>
    </blockquote>





	asylum

**Author's Note:**

> I already published this on wattpad a while back as a one shot but I decided to publish it here as well!

Drip.

Drop.

Drip.

Drop.

Yell.

Spat.

Sniffle.

Pat.

Drip.

Sniffle.

Drop.

Spat.

Yell.

Bang.

Pat.

Yell.

Chaos.

There wasn't often a time in the asylum when it was quiet. God knows how many crazy people gathered up together. Silence is not even considered a word in here.

The rain could be heard through the thick asylum walls,Some dropped down on the floor every once in a while since the roof had holes in it. The sound of rain was partly blocked out due to all the screaming going on down the hall. Todd figured that a wig maker had stopped by and was trying to get some hair,Most likely from the blondes.

Seconds.  
Minutes.  
Hours.  
Days.  
Weeks.  
Months.

Who knows how long he and Mrs. Lovett had been trapped in here. A minute felt like a day in this hell hole,and the guards were sure to keep time a secret from the crazies. In theory,it made them crazier. And that's exactly what Mr. Fogg wanted,Isn't it?

Todd twisted around,Trying to get into a comfortable position on the cold,Wet ground but it was no use. Nothing he ever did seemed to make him comfortable.

Days of only an hour or so of sleep was really catching up to the barber. His sleeping habits haven't been the greatest for the last fifteen years but this has got to be the worst it's gotten.

Although sometimes tired and in need of good sleep,Mr.Todd usually couldn't drift off. How could he? He's surrounded by a bunch of insane people who breathe down his neck and claw at his face everyday for entertainment. Not that he couldn't fight them off. At least four fights had broken out between him and the other crazies here within the last week. Or month. Whichever it was,It was quite frequent.

Letting out a small sigh he finally decided to curl up into a ball in the corner of the room. He shut his eyes in hopes of getting some rest,Though he knew it was unlikely.

Meanwhile,A few doors down,Mrs. Lovett leaned against the wall and stared at the slippery ground under her feet. As usual,Her cell mates were yelling and shouting and fighting and crying and whining and begging and-Well making noises that nobody should have to hear constantly.

She wondered how Mr.T was doing. She only saw him at breakfast and dinner-On days that he felt like showing up. Most days he'd allow her to sit with him but he wouldn't utter a word,and she'd learned that if she said anything he'd move away. He didn't speak much and when he did,It was to the guards,Telling them to kindly fuck off.

She signed and slipped down to the floor,Wincing when she finally hit the ground. Sunrise would be soon and so that she could look forward to. She hated the dark. Horrid things happened in the dark.

******

"Get up brown hair!" Someone yelled. She felt a kick at her side and sat up quickly. She shivered. She'd fallen asleep on the wet and moldy floor,Her clothes were soaking wet from all the rain that fell upon her.

"You've got a visitor." The guard growled,Grabbing hold of her arm and roughly pulling her up. She was pushed outside the room her and the other brown heads slept in,She stopped herself from falling at the last second and gasped as she felt another harsh grip on her arm.

"Scum like you and that demon barber don't deserve any visits." The guard spat. She flinched as he growled in her face and then cackled as she shrunk into herself. "Mighty shame ya know. Pretty face like yours shouldn't be all locked up in here." He chuckled. She cleared her throat and tried to regain her composure.

"Don't I know it." She mumbled. "Mighty shame I have ta deal with the likes of you everyday too." She bit back. "I assume this job pays well,Hm sir?" She asks. The dirty guard grunts in response but nods his head. "Then may I ask why you don't bother to buy yourself a tooth cleaning kit from the shop?" She asks. She bites back her smirk as his eyes widen and then turn into angry slits.

He drags her along, Tightening his grip on her arm even more. For the rest of the walk, They're quiet.

 

Mr. Todd was being dragged along as well. Being told he had a visitor shocked him only for a moment before he realized who it probably was. He knew Mrs. Lovett would sit next to him in the desk which sat in the middle of the room, And across from them would sit Toby, The vermin.

And he was right.

After he was shoved into the room, The door was slammed shut. He looked towards the table and growled, Seeing the young boy sitting there, Looking ghostly pale. Mrs. Lovett had not yet arrived and that made Toby nervous. Mr. T was never his biggest fan, And since he partially had something to do with the fact that Todd and Mrs, Lovett were put in this asylum, He knew that if he wasn't careful, He'd be dead just like all those other innocent people.

"Where's mum-"

"How should I bloody know?!" Mr.Todd yelled.

Not long after, The door reopened and Mrs. Lovett was shoved in, Falling to the ground from the force. "Piece of shite." The guard yelled before closing the door again. Mr. Todd bit the inside of his cheek and huffed. He wished he had his knives so that he could slit the throats of all those stupid guards, Especially the one that always watched Nellie so intently. He was always so rough with her and for some odd reason, That angered Sweeney very much.

"Hate em." Todd heard Nellie mutter softly. "Feelin' on me before throwin' me in 'ere. Oughta strangle em." She shook her head before standing up and walking towards the table. She did her best to fix her hair as she sat down. She didn't look at Toby, Only at Mr. T.

"How you been treated,Love?" She asked him softly.

Although Todd didn't want to talk, He decided he would. He rarely spoke to her and he knew it drove her mad. She was only worried about him, After all. "Fine." It wasn't much but he knew it made her happy just to hear his voice.

"I doubt that." She insisted.

Toby cleared his throat and they both flickered their eyes to him. "I-I wanted to come visit you. I haven't seen you in a few weeks...I sure miss ya." He whined softly. Sweeney knew he was only speaking to Mrs. Lovett. The boy was most likely more than happy that he was cooped up in here, Rotting away.

"I miss you too, Love." Nellie sighed, Reaching over to stroke the young boy's face. Sweeney rolled his eyes at the scene. How could she not be angry with Toby? He's the reason they're trapped in an asylum for goodness sake! Maybe she's just a bit too forgiving. Of all people, Todd should know that. She never hesitated to forgive him after all the times he tried to slit her throat.

"Mum...I'm sorry. I really am." He muttered softly.

"Now, Now dear. Don't you start tha'. Hush, My love." Nellie comforted the boy as his tears began to fall. "Now wha' 'ave I told you 'bout tha'?" She asked. Sweeney knew by how thick her accent was beginning to get, She was fighting back tears as well. "None of this was your fault,My darling. You-"

"Don't lie." Sweeney muttered.

"Wha, Mr. T?" She asked, Turning to face him.

"If he had just minded his business and stayed in a boy's place, We'd still be out living our lives. Maybe we would've been...Maybe we would've been living by the sea. Comfy cozy, Where there was no one nosy." Mr. T spat.

Truthfully,That wasn't how he pictured things would've played out. He had no intentions of marrying her and moving to a house by the sea. He didn't love her the way she loved him. Maybe he was starting to love her, Sure, But not how she wanted. It was more of an...I love your company and only yours kind of love. He could simply tolerate her much more than he could anyone else. But Mr. T couldn't understand how she could possibly still enjoy Toby's company. Little bugger was only a problem. Maybe he'd convince Nellie to hate the little boy too.

"Mr. T!" Nellie didn't sound angry, She only sounded disappointed. "Times is hard but...Ya can't possibly blame little Tobias." She half whispered.

"He betrayed your trust, Ya know. You told him not to say a thing to anyone and he disobeyed you, Knowing that if I went down, You would too. He didn't care about that though, He just wanted to destroy our relationship and our business." Todd continued.

Toby sat across from them, Watching as they spoke to each other. His eyes narrowed at Mr. Todd but he quickly looked away from him when he noticed. He knew he should've only asked to see Mrs. Lovett. He didn't wanna see that evil barber, Only his mum. But he also knew that Mrs. Lovett wasn't getting to see Mr. Todd as much as she wanted, And that she'd be happy to get to see him now, With no guards around.

"Well...All good intentions is what he had." She mumbled, Sighing a little. Truthfully, She held a little hate in her heart for the little boy. She wasn't dumb. Of coarse she knew he was the reason that her and her love were trapped in here, And now, Knowing that Mr.T would've moved to a seaside house with her just like in her dreams, She couldn't help but feel even more angry with the young boy. He ruined her and Mr.T's future. But she also loved Toby. He was her family, After all.

"Only ten more minutes,Scum!" A guard yelled through the door.

Nellie sighed again and stood up, Stretching her legs. These visits could never last too long. She kind of hated them, To be honest. It only reminded her that her and her love were trapped in here with no escape, While Toby got to go outside and run free. Plus, She didn't get enough time to talk to Mr.T.

"Mum...Have they been feeding you enough? Have you got a clean place to sleep at?" The young boy asked curiously. Of coarse, He knew the asylum wasn't a nice place, And he knew from what he'd witnessed minutes ago that the guards weren't nice, But he was hoping that his mum was somewhat safe.

"It's a bloody asylum! Of coarse not!" Sweeney yelled.

"Mr.T!" Nellie half growled. "Yes Toby, I'm bein' fed pretty well and I sleep in a bed. It's hard but...It's a place to sleep." She muttered. Her and Sweeney both knew that was a lie but instead of exposing the truth, Sweeney decided to stay silent and let her continue to lie. He knew she didn't want the boy feeling any guiltier than he already did.

"What do you do throughout the day? Do you get to sit with other people? Talk?" The young boy asked.

"Why don't you rat your own self out so you can be dragged here, And then you'll see." Sweeney hissed. All the boy's questions were irritating him more so than he already was. He acted like this place was supposed to be their home.

"We don't leave our rooms much, No. Only ta eat but they give us an hour to do that so-"

"Just two hours a day that you're out of your room then? Don't it get cramped? Don't you start ta feel sick?" Toby asked. He was starting to feel disgusted. This place wasn't any better than the home he used to stay in.

"Well you make the best of it, Love." Although she wasn't being rude like Mr.T, Nellie was starting to get irritated as well. She hated having to act like this place wasn't a hell hole. Days on end she sat, Listening to the crazies screaming and throwing fits. They pissed and puked on the floors and it didn't get cleaned up quickly. The rooms were only cleaned every two weeks.

The fights that often broke out were stupid and only caused harsh punishments for everyone who was near. And somehow, She was always near. The food here, Though the least of anyone's worries, Was total and complete slop, Filled with drugs, Probably.

"Let's talk about somethin' else, Yeah? Time is running out." She said, Sitting back down.

******

Nellie picked at her food and sniffled a little. She could tell she was getting sick. Her throat was itchy and her nose was running. And who knew what the sickness was. Could be a simple head cold,Could be death creeping up on her from all the mold and rust in the asylum.

Mr. T noticed how she sniffled every ten seconds and sighed before handing her his napkin. She smiled slightly before wiping her nose. He ate a small bite of the brown and green food and cringed as it went down his throat. It was somehow dry and gooey all at once.

"Mr.T." Nellie mumbled. He hummed, Not in the mood to speak at the moment. "Do ya think we'll die in here?" She asked softly. "The judge said we would. Said we'd stay here until death came to collect us. But do you think we will? I know..." She looked around and then leaned in a little before whispering, "I know you've always got a scheme up your sleeve."

"..."

"We've been here for a while and I just think that eventually we'll be able to find some way,Some how to get out of here." She continued on. "I know we can make it out. We'll have to be very careful or we might end up dead. But Mr.T, You've broken out of a prison before, I'm sure you'll be able to break us out of an asylum. The guards here ain't shite."

"Mrs. Lovett." Sweeney sighed. "I am at peace."

"Wha'?"

"I killed judge Turpin and I killed Beadle Bamford. I got my revenge for my Lucy and if this is the price I have to pay for that...Well I'm fine with it. My work is done." He explained.

"No." Nellie shook her head. "I won' except tha'." She yelled, Banging her fist on the table. She quieted down noticing that some guards were looking her way, Ready to strike if they needed to. "What about me,Mr. T?" She knew she was whining like a child but she didn't care. "What about our seaside house,Huh? Wha' about our life together? You wanna rot in this asylum now that you've gotten your revenge? What kind of life is this,Huh?" She hissed.

"There's no way to escape,Nellie." Todd sighed. It wasn't often he called her that so it took her by surprise,But she wasted no time speaking again. "You selfish man you!" She growled. "Don't care about me at all."

"That's not true." He whispered. And it wasn't. He had some feelings for her. Not the kind she wanted but...Feelings. He hated to see her so riled up because of him honestly. Lately,He's cared much more about her feelings.

"It is. It is." She huffed. "Well alright then mista T." She nodded. "You don't wanna get out of 'ere fine then. But you bet your bum tha' I will escape and I will get my seaside house and I. Will. Be. Happy." She jabbed her thumb into his chest on her final four words and from the crazed look in her eyes, Sweeney could tell she meant every word.

"This place is getting to you my pet." He said sadly. He spoke so softly that it was hard for her to hear but she did. "Being surrounded by crazies isn't doing you any good..."

"Now ya think I'm messed up in the 'ead,hm?" She asked,Her eyes getting wider than he thought possible. Her breathing was getting heavier, Her chest rising and falling quickly. Her skin was becoming red from the anger and her lips were in a permanent pout. He hated seeing her this way. She wasn't cool headed. She wasn't who she used to be.

"Mrs. Lovett, You're a bloody wonder, Eminently practical and yet appropriate as always." He tried calming her down. "I wanna go back to the way we was." She whimpered. "I wanna make pies and I wanna be home."

"As you've said repeatedly there's little point in dwelling on the past."

******

He'd just drifted off to sleep for the first time in a long while, When he heard it. A big bump, A thud and a shout. He peeked an eye open and growled to himself before sitting up. He saw that no one in his cell was standing, They were all on the ground either asleep or muttering to themselves. He decided to stand up and stretch. Although it was still dark, He knew that soon everyone would be waking up for breakfast.

He heard another shout and then another and sighed. He walked towards the cell door and leaned up against it, Peeking out. The shouts continued and soon his brow furrowed. Although he usually didn't pay much attention to the loud noises surrounding him, He couldn't help but pay attention to this. He knew that one of the voices he heard was the dreadful guard that he hated. The other voice...Sounded too familiar.

"-Me go!" He heard some of what was said but not all.

"-Escaped her cell somehow,Tryna make a run-"

"Help me she's mad!"

"-Kickin and clawing I-"

The shouting stopped soon after and it was just banging and loud breathing from there. It sounded like the noises were coming from around the corner. One thing was for sure...It was Eleanor who was doing some of that yelling. She must've tried to escape.

"Can't believe it." Todd shook his head. That woman...Bloody wonder alright.

She was sure to be in trouble now.

Todd closed his eyes tightly and leaned his forehead against the door,Clutching the bars tightly. No telling what they'd do to her. Either they'd beat her to death or,If they felt like being nice,They'd give her so many drugs that she'd go in her sleep. It hurt his heart to think about it.

He shook his head and kicked the door slightly,His brow furrowing even more. He wore a pained expression as he listened to all the commotion. He couldn't bare the thought of being in the asylum all alone.

A few days ago when he and Nellie had their little talk,When she wanted him to make a plan so they could escape, He thought nothing of it. Although this wasn't his ideal life, It was...Alright. He hated it here but then...He was living. But now...Knowing that he'd continue to live here without her,Well it made him sick.

Maybe the only reason he's stayed slightly sane and slightly at peace here is because she was here with him. Now she's gone and tried to escape and there was no way she wouldn't get severely punished for it.

"Mrs. Lovett." He whined.

 

 

"Let me go!" Mrs. Lovett yelled loudly. "Pieces of shite. This all you got?!" She screamed, Kicking around with all her might. Three guards surrounded her,Grabbing hold of her arms and legs. They tried to contain her but she was putting up a fight. They'd been struggling with her for at least five minutes and they expected her to tire herself out and lose some strength but nope,She's fighting as strong as she was when it started. None of the guards had any medicine to give her to get her to calm her down, But boy did they wish they did.

Nellie shoved her elbow in one of the guard's eyes and he gasped letting out a yell and then he let her go. She kicked another on in his man parts and then quickly ran away from the standing guard. While she ran she pulled out the sharp scissors she'd stolen from Mr. Fogg when she was speaking with him a day or two ago.

She heard feet pounding behind her and knew that the guard was hot on her tail. She turned the corner and slid into a room,Shutting the door as quietly as possibly before locking it. She looked around and smirked, Noticing that there were plenty of medical tools in this room. Sharp medical tools.

Without a second of hesitation, She shoved as many of the sharp objects as she could into her breasts and then placed some into her shoes. She knew it was likely that she'd end up cutting herself, But it'd all be worth it in the long run.

 

 

Mr. Todd craned his neck as far as it could go,But he could still see nothing and no one. Just an empty hall. It was still dark, So even if someone had been standing down the hall,He probably wouldn't have seen them. But he knew he'd hear them.

The silence was deafening. Hearing all the commotion, Most of the lunatics were quiet, Trying to listen out for what would happen next,The nosy buggers. But now there was no noise at all. No shouting and no banging and no footsteps either. It was starting to make Sweeney very uneasy. What if those filthy guards were hurting Mrs. Lovett? What if she was crying in a corner,Coughing up blood, Calling out weakly for him to come and save her?

Todd gulped before letting out a small sigh. She got herself into this. She should've never tried to escape. But maybe if she was put to sleep,It'd be for the best. She isn't happy. She isn't mentally okay, Due to being told she was insane. Maybe death would bring her peace...But still...He'd hate to see her go.

He loved Lucy. Always would. He'd always yearn to be with her and he'd always think of her yellow hair. But Mrs. Lovett was a woman like no other, And whether Mr. Todd wanted to admit it or not, He cared for her much more than he should.

He wasn't in love with her like he was with Lucy but damn it that woman made him crazy...In a good way. Mrs. Lovett was all he had,Truthfully. She was the only one he could talk to. The only one he didn't wanna murder...All the time. The only one who understood his ways.

He slid down to sit on the nasty floor and curled up into a ball. He felt so small and so...Dare he admit...Fragile. His heart felt like it was being ripped into tiny pieces. He felt like it would pound out of his chest. He imagined that being stabbed right in the heart and having the knife twisted around until it ripped the organ right out of your body couldn't be nearly as painful as what he was feeling now. It was like when he was losing Lucy all over again. Only this time he had no judge to blame. No, He could only blame himself.

He should've talked to her more. Should've made sure she wouldn't try something like this. But he didn't. He didn't take her seriously, Didn't think she'd dare make the mistake of trying to get out of the asylum.

A small, Lonely tear slipped from one of his eyes. He hasn't cried in fifteen years but now seems as good a time as any. This whole thing is all his fault after all. He's been blaming Toby but who's really at fault? If he hadn't been killing people he wouldn't be here. And if he hadn't gotten Mrs. Lovett involved, She wouldn't be trying to escape.

Life is pain, He supposes though.

 

 

She unlocked the door and ran towards the back of the room,Hiding behind a desk. She gripped her two pairs of scissors tightly as she heard footsteps near the door. It was now or never...Now or never.

When the door opened slowly, She didn't move. She heard slow footsteps and then they stopped. She looked downwards and saw someone's feet. They turned to exit and she jumped out and quickly stabbed the guard in his neck. She released the scissors and covered his mouth,Holding his weight in one hand as she guided him to the ground, Trying not to make too much noise. It was a struggle but she got it done,As usual.

When his eyes rolled into the back of his head, She took the scissors out of his neck and then slit it. The blood sprung up and hit her in the face but she didn't let that stop her from stabbing him in the chest. She was only doing what she had to. She didn't wanna take any chances. She had to be sure he was dead and gone.

She stood and looked at him. Noticing something poking out of his pocket. She took it out and gasped, Noticing it was a gun. A bloody gun. If this wasn't bloody luck she didn't know what it was!

She quickly and quietly walked towards the door with the gun in hand.

She walked out into the hall and peeked around the corner. She needed to get to where Sweeney was but guards were blocking her way. She quickly ran in the other direction and fired the gun before running and slipping into a nearby room,Close enough to the hall that Sweeney was on.

She heard heavy footsteps running past the door and peeked out to make sure it was safe. When she saw that the guards were no where in sight, She slipped out and ran down the hallway. She stopped when she came to Sweeney's cell.

She saw him, Curled in a tiny ball. His back was rising and falling heavily. "Sweeney! Mr.T!" She whisper yelled. He was up to his full height in just a second. His brown eyes widened when he noticed who'd called his name. "Oh my-God, My pet!" He said.

"Shh." She shh'd him. "Take this knife, Pick the lock, Get yourself out of the cell." She instructed, Hurriedly handing him the knife. He got right to work, Doing as she said. "How'd you get this?" He asked as he fumbled with the lock.

"Now ain't the time for no question mista T just please, Get yourself free so we can-"

She heard footsteps coming her way. She gasped and took off without another word. Sweeney hurriedly sat down. Curling into a ball again to pretend he was sleeping. He made sure to hide the knife. He could feel one of the guard's eyes on him. He was standing right outside the cell.

"She was 'ere." Todd's eyes snapped open when he heard the voice. It came from the corner, It was one of the women. "She was 'ere." "Who, Ya crazy?" The guard yelled. Todd hissed before jumping up. He wanted to murder the woman right then and there. They were trying to escape and she was trying to rat them out!

"What's your problem?" The guard asked Todd,Seeing him stand up abruptly. "You see that bitch anywhere?" He ignored the insult and ran a hand through his hair. He couldn't let his guard down. "I was asleep until you rudely interrupted it." He growled.

"Crazy over there said she seen somebody. Is that true?" The guard asked. 'Dumb as a sack of potatoes.' Sweeney thought to himself. "Like I just said, I was asleep. And of coarse she said she saw someone. She always sees someone." Todd rolled his eyes and the guard nodded a little, It was true.

"Just...Let me know if you see the escapee." The guard huffed before scurrying off. Todd waited until he was out of sight and then turned quickly to face the crazies. "Not. A.Word. Any of you say anything to the guard if he comes back and you're dead." He hissed before going back to work on the lock.

 

 

 

Two guards down and,As far as she knew, One more to go. Lucky for her, Not many guards were working right now, But since it's morning, The others should be arriving soon, Which means that her and Mr. T need to be out of this asylum and on the run soon.

She heard more footsteps, They were slow and steady, In no hurry whatsoever, Unlike the other guards. She was ready to pounce, Her weapons in hand. As soon as the other guard came around the corner, His life would be over with and hers and Mr.T's could begin.

'Four more steps and I'm free.' She thought.

Three more.

Two more.

One.

He stepped around the corner and she pounced, Stabbing him in the neck and then shoving the gun in his mouth. Although she hadn't killed any of the guards with the gun, It sure did give her a thrill to make them think she would.

The guard fell to his knees,Letting out the few sounds that he could . She slit his throat and then watched as he fell face first to the ground. Tears of joy were already starting to pour out of her eyes, But before she could wallow in her happiness she heard more footsteps. She quickly dried her tears and held up the gun, Getting ready to murder whoever stepped around the corner.

"Mrs. Lovett." She heard. Her arms trembled as she heard his voice. He must've been able to get free!

He appeared in front of her and she gasped, Putting the gun down. She ran to him and threw her arms around him, Burying her head in his neck. She sobbed in his arms and he cradled her, Trying to comfort her.

"My love...Nellie...We have to go. We have to-"

She cut him off by grabbing his cheeks and putting her lips on his. She thought he'd resist. She thought he'd shove her away and be angry with her,But instead, He continued to kiss her. When they pulled away, He gave her a small smile.

"We're free,My pet."


End file.
